Our Program
Boys Helped
Over 500 boys have completed the program, and the Ranch celebrates a success rate of having over 92% of these boys not being in trouble with the law after graduating. We are very pleased and thankful for seeing the lives of these boys change into positive and productive young men. We believe there are four basic parts to our program that are responsible for this high success rate. They are the Christian values and ethics that are taught and modeled, the emphasis on education, the training the boys receive through various skills, and the counseling that they receive.
Even though LUC caters to helping boys within a 200-mile radius, boys have come from over 20 different states. The rewards are tremendous when you are able to witness a boy who comes from a gang situation, turn his life over to Christ, and in 15 months returns home and invites his former gang members over for a game of basketball and a Bible study.
Many of our graduates have enlisted in various military services and have received high honors. Others report success in higher education and jobs within their home communities. Graduates have become successful in management, teaching, social work, lawyers, skilled trades, etc.
We have regular visits from graduates who bring their families back to a place they once called home. They share the things that they learned while at the Ranch and lessons that they have experienced in their lives since they lived with the residents at LUC. Many boys just like to come back to visit, have a hug, and hear the words “well done” or “keep trying, the Lord will help you”.
Spiritual
Statement of Faith: Lives Under Construction Ranch believes that the Bible is the inspired Word of God which reveals the plan of Salvation through a personal experience of faith in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God.
Guidance: LUC provides the following as spiritual guidance to encourage boys who have come to a point of desperation in their lives: daily Bible Studies, meal-time devotions and praise, Bible memorization, personal study of the Word, and attendance at various local Sunday school and worship services. Because the Ranch is interdenominational, the staff uses the Bible as the handbook for helping the boys each day with their needs and inspiration.
Educational
One KEY to a successful future is a good education, which is high on our priority list. Our Education Coordinator discovers the boys’ abilities and together with the Blue Eye Public School system works at achieving academic success.
Without the benefit of a high school degree, they may find themselves on the road to prison and/or welfare. These boys have a great deal of potential that is kept locked within them
Our boys find that they are able to get excellent grades and discover musical and artistic abilities that were never before realized. A positive environment is essential for these boys. They need those who are willing to put forth the effort to help them and provide the discipline they need to complete the tasks. The boys who attend LUC each year reflect the harsh reality of social-economic problems in the United States. Many of them come to LUC having failed previous years in school and are behind in their grade level. These boys have little hope of higher education or vocational schooling when they arrive at the Ranch.
The individual backgrounds of boys reveal stories of personal loss, criminal offenses, substance abuse, violence and aggression, chronic truancy, disrespect for authority, self-destructive behavior, and other emotional problems. The boys’ unique needs require educational facilities above and beyond what is currently available at the local public school. With the help of many volunteers, we built an Academic Center that allows the boys better facilities to do their homework and catch up to others in their grade level.

Therapy
1. Christian Counseling using Biblical principles. This is done in a clinical setting at various times during the month; however, the most productive time that is done is on a one-on-one basis during the day as staff interact with the boys. A lot of different analogies can be made while the boys are playing, working, resting, and eating.
2. Recreation is when the guys learn to interact and work together as a team.
3. Being accountable and taking responsibility for one’s own actions whether this is praise or consequences.
4. Caring for the needs of animals.
5. Participating in local outings where the boys can discover their individuality.
6. Families working together to strengthen their relationships through LUC workshops and Family Counseling.
